President Trump Releases FY27 Budget Proposal

On April 3, the White House released President Trump’s FY27 discretionary budget proposal, which outlines the Administration’s funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2026.

The documents reflect the Administration’s planned HHS reorganization, proposed funding levels, and various policy and legislative proposals. Overall, the budget proposes $111.1 billion in discretionary budget authority for HHS, a $15.8 billion or 12.5% decrease from the 2026 enacted level.

Specifically, the budget proposes establishment of the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) (similar to the FY26 budget proposal) as part of a major reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services. It consolidates and relocates programs from across the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and from several CDC centers such as the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

Further details include:

• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics: $385.5 million
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: $534.6 million
• Project AWARE: $120.5 million
• Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers: $7 million
• Building Communities of Recovery: $17 million
• Peer Support Technical Assistance Center: $2 million
• Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant: $4.5 billion - Combines the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Support Services Block Grant, and State Opioid Response into a single grant. Similar to the proposal in FY26 that was not finalized.

As a reminder, Congress has the authority to approve, reject, or modify the Administration’s budget recommendations. Therefore, public health leaders must continue to educate and inform members of Congress about the impact of public health funding and the need for sustainable, predictable resources for governmental public health activities across federal, state, territorial, and local agencies.

Annual Behavioral Health Wellness Visit Legislation Introduced

HB 724, legislation requiring health insurance plans in Ohio to cover an annual behavioral health check for children and adults, with no copays or deductibles has been introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives by Rep. Jodi Salvo and Rep. Andrea White.

House Bill 724 (Annual Behavioral Health Wellness Visit) aims to make preventive mental health care as routine as physical checkups. The Ohio Department of Insurance stated that, “the efforts of the legislature and mental health stakeholders advancing this crucial initiative are greatly appreciated.”

Military Suicides Fell in 2024 but Long-Term Rate for Active Duty Troops Still Rising, Pentagon Says

Fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024, with the number of deaths falling by 11% to 471 from a year earlier, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday.

The rate of suicides per 100,000 service members also dropped that year compared to 2023, the report said. The decrease emerged under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration and followed a rise in the number of military suicides in 2023.

Despite the drop in 2024, suicide rates among active-duty troops overall still have gradually increased between 2011 and 2024, while the National Guard and Reserve have stayed largely stable, the report said.

The military’s statistics generally reflect suicide rates for society as a whole, when adjusted for age and gender, because a majority of those in the military are young and male. The overall trend in suicide rates for active-duty service members “mirrors the increase in the U.S. population suicide rates over time,” the report said.

US Supreme Court Strikes Down Colorado's Ban on Conversion Therapy

The US Supreme Court has ruled against a law in Colorado that bans so-called conversion therapy for lesbian, gay and transgender people.

It sided 8-1 with a therapist from Colorado Springs who argued that the state's restrictions violated her free speech rights guaranteed under the US Constitution's First Amendment.

The justices ruled that lower courts had "erred by failing to apply sufficiently rigorous scrutiny" to restrictions on free speech.

Writing the majority decision for the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch agreed, saying Colorado's law "censors speech based on viewpoint".

The justices emphasized that Chiles's talk therapy "involves no physical interventions or medications".

Colorado officials had said the law does not regulate speech but instead regulates the conduct of professionals providing mental health treatment. They also argued the law does not prohibit discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation.